A+E Blog

Young and Fabulous

After weeks of learning costume, makeup, stage and performance tips from local drag experts, Humboldt youth ages 10 through 21 take the stage at Synapsis Studio and work it at the Color Me Queer Drag Show and Dance Party Feb. 19 from 7 to 11 p.m. (donation, free for 21 and under)

The all-ages event features an after-party dance with DJ Anya and is brought to you by The Raven Project, a youth outreach program that provides services for at-risk youth, including many in the LGBTQA+ community who are discovering who they are by bending and blending the lines of gender identity and expression. This show is the first of its kind in Humboldt and it is kind of a big deal. In drag, performers can present any way they choose, regardless of gender identity, biological sex or sexual orientation. It is a way to find yourself by transforming yourself — all in front of a cheering audience. Not a bad way to come out.

As the workshops by local drag stars Fuscia Rae and Justin Cider taught, drag is about more than hair and makeup — it's craft. Whether a drag act is about music, comedy, dance or simply embodying larger-than-life confidence, a well-groomed mustache or well-turned ankle can turn heteronormativity on its head. And we can always use a little of that.